
Coolmain Bay is located on the south coast of Ireland about twenty miles southwest of Cork Harbour, in Co. Cork. It is set in the northwest corner of Courtmacsherry Bay immediately outside the estuary of the Argideen River that provides access to Courtmacsherry Harbour. It offers a convenient anchorage for those awaiting a tide to enter Courtmacsherry.
Although mostly used as a tide wait location, Coolmain Bay is a good anchorage in its own right that is well sheltered from the west round through north to east. Access is straightforward as the bay has the benefits of the Courtmacsherry Harbour navigation lights, is free of outlying dangers and gradually shelves up to the head of the bay.
Keyfacts for Coolmain Bay
Last modified
May 8th 2018 Summary
A good location with straightforward access.Facilities
None listedNature
Considerations
Position and approaches
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Haven position
This is about a third of a mile to the northwest of the Courtmacsherry starboard marker and in the middle of the bay where about 2 metres will be found.
What is the initial fix?
The following Courtmacsherry initial fix will set up a final approach:

What are the key points of the approach?
Offshore details are available in southwestern Ireland’s Coastal Overview for Cork Harbour to Mizen Head
.
Not what you need?
Click the 'Next' and 'Previous' buttons to progress through neighbouring havens in a coastal 'clockwise' or 'anti-clockwise' sequence. Below are the ten nearest havens to Coolmain Bay for your convenience.
Ten nearest havens by straight line charted distance and bearing:
- Courtmacsherry - 0.9 miles WSW
- Broadstrand Bay - 1 miles SSW
- Blindstrand Bay - 1.2 miles S
- Seven Heads Bay - 2 miles SSW
- Dunworly Bay - 3 miles SW
- Holeopen Bay West - 3 miles ESE
- Holeopen Bay East - 3.4 miles ESE
- Sandy Cove - 3.8 miles ENE
- Kinsale Harbour - 4.2 miles ENE
- Clonakilty Harbour (Ring) - 4.3 miles WSW
These havens are ordered by straight line charted distance and bearing, and can be reordered by compass direction or coastal sequence:
- Courtmacsherry - 0.9 miles WSW
- Broadstrand Bay - 1 miles SSW
- Blindstrand Bay - 1.2 miles S
- Seven Heads Bay - 2 miles SSW
- Dunworly Bay - 3 miles SW
- Holeopen Bay West - 3 miles ESE
- Holeopen Bay East - 3.4 miles ESE
- Sandy Cove - 3.8 miles ENE
- Kinsale Harbour - 4.2 miles ENE
- Clonakilty Harbour (Ring) - 4.3 miles WSW
How to get in?
Coolmain Bay sits in the northeast corner of Courtmacsherry Bay. It is entered between Wood Point and Coolmain Point and on the approaches to Courtmacsherry.Why visit here?
Coolmain derives its name from the Irish name ‘Cùl-meadhon’ [-main]. Cùl, cùil, or cùiltean‘ meaning ‘back of the’; ‘meadhon‘ meaning ‘middle hill’. They join to describe ‘back of the middle hill’.The bay is overlooked by Coolmain Castle that came to be connected in recent times to another world famous ‘magic kingdom’. It was originally built in the early 15th century by the De Courcy family, but in the following century, they lost it to the MacCarthy Reaghs, the Princes of Desmond. Over the years it passed through the hands of a number of families including that of the Earls of Cork before it was taken by Oliver Cromwell in the middle of the 17th century. In the early 1900s, it was owned by a popular Irish-American novelist and poet Don Byrne. Although he was a New Yorker, his wife, Dolly Cadogan, was formally from the area. He sold it to the Hollywood photographer Bob Willoughby who carried out extensive refurbishments to the property.

Coolmain Bay’s main use from a sailing perspective is that of a Courtmacsherry tide wait location. It is, however, an excellent and convenient anchorage in northerly conditions and should not be overlooked.
What facilities are available?
There are no services available in this remote secluded bay except for The Pink Elephant fine food restaurant overlooking the bay from Lisheen Point. Within the river, the village of Courtmacsherry offers most basic provisions, a choice of pubs and a post office.Any security concerns?
Never an issue known to have occurred to a vessel in Coolmain Bay. The Pink Elephant restaurant mounted a live Coolmaine Bay webcam to enable the bay to be seen remotely.With thanks to:
Gareth Thomas, Yacht Jalfrezi. Photographs with thanks to Niall at the Pink Elephant and Burke Corbett.











Local landscapes created by The Pink Elephant restaurant
About Coolmain Bay
Coolmain derives its name from the Irish name ‘Cùl-meadhon’ [-main]. Cùl, cùil, or cùiltean‘ meaning ‘back of the’; ‘meadhon‘ meaning ‘middle hill’. They join to describe ‘back of the middle hill’.
The bay is overlooked by Coolmain Castle that came to be connected in recent times to another world famous ‘magic kingdom’. It was originally built in the early 15th century by the De Courcy family, but in the following century, they lost it to the MacCarthy Reaghs, the Princes of Desmond. Over the years it passed through the hands of a number of families including that of the Earls of Cork before it was taken by Oliver Cromwell in the middle of the 17th century. In the early 1900s, it was owned by a popular Irish-American novelist and poet Don Byrne. Although he was a New Yorker, his wife, Dolly Cadogan, was formally from the area. He sold it to the Hollywood photographer Bob Willoughby who carried out extensive refurbishments to the property.

Coolmain Bay’s main use from a sailing perspective is that of a Courtmacsherry tide wait location. It is, however, an excellent and convenient anchorage in northerly conditions and should not be overlooked.
Other options in this area
Click the 'Next' and 'Previous' buttons to progress through neighbouring havens in a coastal 'clockwise' or 'anti-clockwise' sequence. Alternatively here are the ten nearest havens available in picture view:
Coastal clockwise:
Courtmacsherry - 0.9 miles WSWBroadstrand Bay - 1 miles SSW
Blindstrand Bay - 1.2 miles S
Seven Heads Bay - 2 miles SSW
Dunworly Bay - 3 miles SW
Coastal anti-clockwise:
Holeopen Bay West - 3 miles ESEHoleopen Bay East - 3.4 miles ESE
Sandy Cove - 3.8 miles ENE
Kinsale Harbour - 4.2 miles ENE
Oysterhaven - 5.5 miles ENE
Navigational pictures
These additional images feature in the 'How to get in' section of our detailed view for Coolmain Bay.

Detail view | Off |
Picture view | On |
Local landscapes created by The Pink Elephant restaurant
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